Minnesota Vikings @ Arizona Cardinals (SNF)
QB Kurt Warner is an experienced quarterback and despite being questionable for tonight, I think he will be on the starting lineup. On the passing game, he has WR Larry Fitzgerald (75 receptions and 11 TD), Warner's "best friend" and WR Anquan Boldin (56 rec/2 TD), 2 good wide receivers that any defense in the NFL has to be very careful to not give them too much room. WR Steve Breaston was also used this season and he has some nice numbers, 43 receptions and 3 TD, so we can really say that Arizona's passing game is one of the best in the NFL.
Cardinals' rushing game is now improved, rookie RB Beanie Wells has already scored 4 TD and he is a nice addiction for the team, which has shown a very strong running game in their last games and are now more balanced offense. RB Tim Hightower has some health problems but he might seeing him too on this game, if not as a rusher, at least a tight-end, to give the Cards some options on the short passing game. Yet, the running game is the weak spot of the Cardinals and Minny D has the edge on this one.
Arizona's defense does better against the running game than against the passing game, yet this might not be enough when you face the best rusher of the NFL. However, Cards D is able to deliver a lot of pressure on the opposite side and their passing defense is not that bad either, but they have their moments, sometimes they play very good, sometimes they don't and at home, they usually do not play that well and against the Vikings that can be deadly.
Minnesota defense is a very good and aggressive unit, one of the mainstays of this team in the past, but their secondary has been untested on the last weeks and they faced good offensive teams like the Steelers, the Packers or even the Ravens, they suffered a lot of points. For those who want to go for the Over, this might be a good angle, but for me that line is a bit too high thanks to Arizona's inconsistency.
On the offense, they have QB Brett Favre, who has been very good this season, he has not taken many chances and he has suffered very few interceptions because on this season he has done a very good management on his passing calls and he has taken advantage of the powerful rushing game at his disposal. QB Favre improved the Vikings passing game and with the best rusher of the NFL, RB Adrian Peterson (a player that is practically impossible to stop and even when he is stopped, he has far better numbers than any good rusher in the NFL, which makes him a key player on the Vikes O), the Minny O is quite strong and deadly to their opponents' defenses.
On the passing game, WR Bernard Berrian (38 rec/4 TD) has not been used that much this season, unlike WR Percy Harvin (42 rec/5TD) or WR Sidney Rice (56 rec/4 TD), who account for almost a mile in the passing game. Yet, when we look at the numbers of Adrian Peterson, we see that this team is very well balanced in terms of scoring touchdowns by the ground or by the air.
Both defenses will have problems when facing the opponents' passing game, but when the ball is carried by a rusher, the edge goes for the Purps, on both sides of the game, offense and defense. Minnesota has been much more consistent this season, despite having faced lower opponents lately while Arizona had a much tougher opposition. For me, knowing how unreliable the Cards have been at home, I'll have to give the Vikes the edge and I expect them to win this game by at least 1 touchdown or more. No matter the end result, ladies and gents, please enjoy the game!!!
Pick: Minnesota Vikings -3 -120 (1.83) Bookmaker
|